


17,000 Months Pregnant

by Writing_Sux



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, and so much cuteness because I'm a sap, domestic swan queen fluff, preggo Emma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-14
Packaged: 2018-08-18 20:17:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8174668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_Sux/pseuds/Writing_Sux
Summary: Emma has been ordered to bed rest in the final month of her pregnancy and she's miserable.





	1. Awesome Way To Start The Day

**Author's Note:**

> Have never been pregnant, never witnessed the miracle that is bringing life into the world. That being said, Emma's pregnancy and all her symptoms have been exaggerated.

Emma Swan: daughter, sheriff, saviour; was now a human incubator. She let her head fall back against the head board and groaned. Emma felt like she was seventeen thousand months pregnant and there was no end in sight. Between the alien that was growing inside of her to her volatile emotions to every ache and pain she was done been pregnant. After she had Henry, Emma had vowed that she wasn’t going to have another kid. Not only did having a kid in prison cause enough trauma, but the pregnancy itself had been no walk in the park either. However, this time it was different. She wasn’t alone and that reason was one of many that caused her to change her mind.

Emma rolled her head to the right and looked at Regina as she slept. The woman had been nothing short of supportive, and was showing Emma amount tremendous patience during what she could only call the most vulnerable point in her life with Regina. It wasn’t her fault that she was so easily affected by the pregnancy, it was the hormones. Emma started to think that she had been nothing but a burden to Regina, and the overwhelming sense of helplessness came over her, making her tear up.

Tears had become so common placed for Emma that she didn’t even try to hide them anymore. She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. She hated crying and she hated the fact that she had to rely on Regina for so much emotional support, despite the other woman telling her that she was enjoying every minute of it. Emma scoffed. She wasn’t enjoying any of this and the fact that was on bed rest made Emma even more miserable.

But that didn’t stop the rambunctious child that was currently occupying most of the space in her abdominal cavity from doing kicks, flips, and somersaults in the warm protective cocoon that she was in. Which she was doing at that moment and she was using Emma’s kidney for soccer practice. The irritated mother-to-be pushed on her stomach and tried to get her already hyperactive daughter into a new position so that she wasn’t using the sensitive organ as her personal hackey-sack. “Come on kid. It’s too early for this shit,” Emma muttered as she gave the left side of her stomach a firm push. Her defiant daughter kicked her hand and she exclaimed in a low voice, “Hey you’re going to move weather you like or not.”

Emma heard a groan next to her then Regina lifted her head and mumbled, “You okay?”

She tried not to glare at the woman lying next to her but with her internal organs being used for soccer practice and her ever changing emotions Emma wasn’t able to stop herself from snapping. “Regina Mills Jr. is showing her attitude this morning because I’m trying to get her to stop kicking my fricking kidney.”

Regina shut her eyes tight for a second then she re-opened them before scoothing closer to Emma. She moved down on the bed so that her head was next to the other woman’s protruding midsection. Regina smiled and rubbed her hand over Emma’s stomach as she cooed, “Nena stop giving your mommy such a hard time. It’s too early for that.”

Emma relaxed when the baby settled down. Their daughter only calmed down when the smooth, velvet tones of her other mother’s voice spoke to her. She felt a quick peck to her swollen abdomen then Regina shifted back up the bed. She gave Emma a quick kiss then asked, “Why are you up?”

Emma let out a frustrated sigh. “Your daughter.” She let her head fall back on the headboard then closed her eyes. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she said, “I’m so sick of being pregnant. I’m not doing this again.”

Regina rubbed her stomach and said in a soothing voice, “I know sweetie.” Emma felt her shift on the bed then Regina’s arm slid across her shoulders then she pulled Emma closer. As soon as her head was resting on her chest, Emma lost control of the tears that she had been trying to hold back. Regina stroked her hair and murmured, “It’s almost over Emma. You’ve got a few more weeks-“

“A month is not a few more weeks,” Emma retorted through her tears.

Regina took a deep breath then placed a kiss in her hair before she sighed. “Your due date is the fifteenth of next month and that is three weeks away.” Emma rolled her eyes and she was tempted to blow snot on Regina’s silk pajama top but she realized that was her petulance talking. Instead she just exhaled and kept quite as Regina tried to comfort her. “Do you want to go for a walk after your nap later? I’m certain you being cooped up in this house isn’t helping you any.”

Emma let out a soft snort. She had been on bed rest for two weeks and was close to committing homicide, but since she was seventeen thousand months pregnant she wouldn’t be able to make those homicidal thoughts a reality. Regina combing her fingers through Emma’s hair was lulling her to sleep and she muttered, “And have half the neighborhood gawk at the beached whale walking down the street? I don’t think so.”

Pregnancy had made her very insecure. Emma was used to being in great physical shape, and having her body transformed into this dwelling for a developing fetus made her feel like a stranger in her own skin. Regina reassured her by telling Emma how beautiful she was, which helped some, but she was used to being a sexy woman of action. Now she was a blubbering, swollen mess that wanted to hide in their room for the next three weeks. Regina kissed her forehead. “Well you will be the most attractive beached whale in the neighborhood.”

That pulled Emma from her almost unconscious state and she sat up to glower at the woman. “That’s not funny Regina. I can’t believe you said that.”

Regina at least had the decency to look regretful about what she had said. She grimaced as she apologized, “I’m sorry Em. It was supposed to be a joke.”

Emma glared at her for another second then she rested her head back on Regina’s chest, grumbling, “Well it wasn’t funny.”

“I know it wasn’t,” Regina murmured against the top of her head. Her fingers picked up where they had left off and continued to rake their way through Emma’s hair. Despite her temporary flare of irritation she sighed with contentment. When she wasn’t a hormonal, emotional blob, Emma and Regina had a good relationship. She would even dare to say it was a great one, but her pregnancy tested them at times. If Regina had had a particularly hard day at work while Emma was having a mood swing they would argue which would result in Emma crying and Regina would have to apologize and try to her calm her down. This time though, Emma was too tired to bother with the comment. All she wanted was the comfort that the other woman gave her so willingly.

Emma was almost asleep when their alarm clock went off and she groaned when Regina moved to turn it off. After the clock was silenced Regina got back into the same position then kissed Emma’s temple before whispering, “Sorry.”

Emma nuzzled Regina’s breast and closed her eyes as she muttered, “S’okay.”

A small chuckle came from Regina then she placed a soft kiss on top of Emma’s head. “I love you.”

Sleep was about to settle over Emma once again but before it completely took her she held on tighter to Regina and breathed, “Love you too.”

* * *

 

Emma woke up hours later to a calm baby and she was feeling less hormonal. She almost believed that she was back to her pre-pregnancy self but her protruding stomach told her otherwise. Emma stretched and rubbed her stomach then she pulled down her shirt because it had ridden up, but the attempt was useless. Her stomach was too big for the shirt, but Emma refused to give up on wearing her tank tops. It also unusually hot since it was the middle of September and they were in Maine. Global warming still happened even in towns filled with fairy tale characters.

Emma glanced at the clock and saw that it was eleven in the morning. She groaned. Damn Regina and her magical fingers. Anytime she went to sleep she was out for at least half the day. Emma moved to get out of bed and she had bit of a struggle but she managed to get out of it. She made a beeline for the bathroom and after peeing and brushing her teeth, Emma wobbled out of the room then made her way downstairs. It was the middle of the day on a weekday so she didn’t put on any actual clothes. Wearing actual clothes made her feel constricted and uncomfortable at the point in her pregnancy, and since it was just her and Regina in the house, Emma walked around the house in her tank top and a pair of worn boxers. When she did have to wear clothes the most she could wear was a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants.

Emma made her way out of the foyer and down the small hall that led to the kitchen, stopping when she passed by the doorway of Regina’s office. The woman was at her desk talking to someone on the phone while she worked on something that was on her computer. Ever since Emma’s doctor had ordered her to bed rest, Regina had been working from home. Emma had argued with her and told her that she would be fine during the day on her own but Regina didn’t budge on the matter. But now, Emma was glad that she was home. She liked going into Regina’s study at some random point during the day and curling up in the corner of the couch to read a book while the mayor ran her town from home. Eventually the two of them would end up cuddling on the couch. Emma would continue to read while Regina read some file muttering about how demanding the citizens of Storybrooke were.

As much as she wanted to go sit in Regina’s study, Emma was hungry. She turned to walk down the hallway but Regina called out, “Emma….” Emma took a step back so that she was back in the doorway of the study. Regina removed her dark rimmed glasses and said, “If you wait a minute I’ll be off this conference call and I can make you something to eat. I have one of your nutritional shakes already made so you can drink that beforehand.”

Emma got a lopsided grin on her face. “You don’t have to Regina. I’m certain I can make-”

Regina gave a subtle shake of her head and remarked, “Nonsense. I’m wrapping up the call right now. So go drink your nutritional drink and don’t forget to take your vitamins.” Emma groaned in disgust. Those pregnancy vitamins were huge and disgusting and on top of that she had to take iron pills because she had low iron. Yep, definitely the last time she would be getting knocked up. Though the perks could make her reconsider. Regina gave her pointed look. “Miss Swan you will take those vitamins. Don’t make me come supervise you.”

Emma rolled her eyes and walked away from the study. When she got into the kitchen she went to the refrigerator and once she opened it she took out the tall, plastic tumbler that held her nutritional shake. She grimaced at it. The stuff was thick and nasty despite Regina’s claim of it being good for her. She closed the door to the refrigerator then walked over to the island to get the two pill bottles. Emma got a glass of water then took her vitamins. After she swallowed those down she popped off the lid on her nutritional shake and did her best to guzzle it down but it was god awful.

Regina walked into the kitchen. Even though she wasn’t at the office she was still dressed for it. She was wearing a cream colored blouse that had no sleeves and it was tucked into a pair of high-waisted pants that flared out at the bottom. The only thing about Regina’s appearance that told Emma that she was enjoying working from home was her lack of heels. Instead of wearing those Regina was had on her fuzzy dark purple slippers. She walked over to Emma and placed a hand on her beach ball of a stomach as she leaned in to kiss Emma’s cheek. Regina began to rub her stomach and as she moved a lock of her hair behind her ear she asked, “I’m trusting you slept well? You look relaxed.”

Emma took another long drink of her shake then scoffed, “I haven’t looked relaxed since the end of my second trimester.” She took a deep breath and tried not be so irritable. “And if I look relaxed it’s because of you and your magic fingers. You run those through my hair and I’m out like a light.”

Regina chuckled and replied, “Well it’s a brand of magic I reserve for those who are special enough to receive it.” She kissed the corner of Emma’s mouth then asked, “What do you want for breakfast dear?”

“French toast. With powdered sugar. And eggs.” Then Emma broke out her signature look for her next breakfast item. She got an innocent look on her face as she asked, “Can I also have some bacon?”

Regina set her lips in a firm line and scowled at her but Emma stood fast and kept up with her puppy dog face. The other woman shook her head and sighed, “Fine. I will cook you bacon but you have to finish all of your shake.”

Emma went to go nod in agreement but she felt a twinge of pain and her hand immediately covered the one that Regina had on her stomach. She grimaced as she waited for the pain to pass. This was the reason why she was on bed rest. Emma was at risk of going into preterm labor. When it first began Emma thought it was just false labor and she had brushed it off, but then one night she and Regina were going up to bed and she felt a real contraction. Regina had teleported them to the hospital and after having a complete work up done they determined that she was having real contractions but not dilating. The doctor had told Emma that she was going to have to stop with her daily routine in order to prevent their daughter from being born prematurely, so Emma went on maternity leave early. That had work and the contractions had stopped. Emma still got the occasional spasm, but she hadn’t felt a true contraction in two weeks.

Regina got a concerned look on her face and Emma held up her hand as she took several deep breaths. It wasn’t a real contraction but sometimes the smaller ones still did a number on her. When it passed she gave Regina a small smile. “I’m okay. It was a small spasm.” Concern was still in Regina’s eyes and Emma gave her an earnest look and stated, “Regina I’m fine. Nena is fine. It’s just a bitch of a spasm reminding me that I need to sit my ass down.”

Regina still look worried but she narrowed her eyes at Emma. “Then I suggest you go do that and I will bring you your breakfast.”

“With bacon?” Emma asked her eyes bright with hope that Regina would still let her have the delicious strips of fried pork.

Regina shook her head then pointed at the plastic tumbler. “You have to drink that. If you don’t, you don’t get bacon.”

Emma rolled her eyes and picked up the tumbler. She eyed the tan goop that was in it then she took a deep breath before bring it to her mouth. She drunk all the contents in one go, and when she finished Emma let out a burp. A look of disgust came to Regina’s face then she dryly remarked, “Charming. And you’ve got…” She got a dishtowel that was hanging on one of the kitchen drawers then wiped it gently over Emma’s top lip. “You had shake on your top lip.”

“Oh. I could have used the back of my hand you know,” Emma remarked though she really wasn’t complaining since it allowed her to get more of Regina's attention.

Regina let out sigh and looked in Emma’s eyes with slight irritation on her face. Her eyes shifted to the island as she tossed the dishtowel onto it then she gave Emma a pointed expression. “I have let you get away with a lot of things because you’re miserable and pregnant but I’m not going to let you be a total barbarian.” She moved to the refrigerator and opened it. “Now go in the living room and sit down.”

Emma smiled as she watched as Regina took out the ingredients that she would need to cook her breakfast. She loved her. So much so that she decided to get pregnant for her. They had talked about expanding their family before, a year after they had signed their marriage license, but it turned into one of those one day things. But there had been a night at dinner several months ago where Emma had been overcome with so much love for Regina and Henry that she decided that she wanted another member to their family. That night in bed she had told Regina that they should have another kid. Of course Regina thought she was joking at the time, but she was so serious. It wasn’t until two days later that they had had an actual conversation on the matter, and once they had the decision was made. Two weeks later Emma was getting inseminated.

Emma walked over to Regina and took hold of her waist then turned around. As soon as the woman was facing her, Emma leaned in and gave her a deep kiss. Sure her pregnancy had her on an emotional rollercoaster most of the time, and she was more sarcastic than usual, but Emma still loved Regina with every fiber of her being and she was so grateful to be going through this with her. Emma pulled back then she rested her forehead on Regina’s and closed her eyes. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she whispered, “I love you.”

Regina placed her hand on her cheek and brushed her thumb across Emma’s cheekbone. “I love you too.” She moved back then pressed a kiss to Emma’s forehead and she held her lips there for a moment before removing them. As she wiped away the tears that stained Emma’s cheeks she said in a hushed voice, “Go lie down Emma. I’ll be in there once I finish your breakfast.” She smiled. “Then we can watch this Bob’s Burgers that you have been going on about.”

Emma chuckled. “You’re going to love this show. It’s hilarious.”

“I’m certain it is.” Regina gave her a quick kiss. “Now go or you won’t get bacon.” She gave her a gentle push out of the kitchen.

Emma smiled at her moment longer then made her way out of the kitchen. As she was walking to the living room she felt a kick to her lower abdomen. Emma rubbed her stomach and remarked, “Look Fugitive, I know you want to be around your mama but she said we have to go lie down or I don’t get bacon. I would like bacon.” As if she understood Emma felt a kick to her bladder and Emma let out a soft grunt. She scowled at her stomach and muttered, “You aren’t even out the womb and you’ve already developed your mother’s attitude.”


	2. Surprise Shower and A Breakdown

Emma and Regina were cuddling on the couch watching Bob’s Burgers and Emma was currently laughing at the scene that was on the TV while Regina rubbed her stomach under the blanket that covered them. Emma had just calmed down when the doorbell rang. Regina moved from behind her and got up so that she could go answer the door and Emma groaned. “Tell them to go away.”

Regina chuckled a little and asked, “What if it’s Nena’s crib?”

“I don’t care.” Regina’s eyebrow went up and Emma corrected herself. “I mean it doesn’t matter since she won’t be sleeping in it for a while.” Regina shook her head and walked out of the living room to go answer the door.

Emma moved around on the couch and tried to find a comfortable position now that Regina wasn’t behind her. Nena was also lodged under her ribs and that was painful as shit. It was worst than when she used Emma’s kidney as a soccer ball. She reached under the blanket that was covering her and pressed on her stomach, mumbling, “Fugitive can you please get from under mommy’s ribs.”

 “What did you call her?” Regina asked as she came back into the living room. Her tone told Emma that she did not approve of the nickname that she had given their daughter.

Emma turned on the couch so that she could look at Regina, which only added to her discomfort because of the infant that was lodged under her ribs, and she saw that her mother was standing next to her. Emma turned to alleviate some of her pain and bit her tongue so that she wouldn’t let out the groan that she wanted to release. She was not up for her mother’s brand of doting. It was annoying.  Emma pressed on her stomach, this attempt was harder than the last, and tried again to get Nena to move. “I called her Fugitive.”

Her mother and Regina moved closer to the couch and Regina asked, “Why would you call her that?”

Emma had to stand. The kid wasn’t moving and she couldn’t take it anymore, but then she remembered that she was wearing boxers that showed off her ass and a tank top that barely covered her stomach. So she wasn’t presentable for their present company. Emma took a deep breath and tried not to get annoyed, but she failed at that. There was a tiny person inside of her who was turning her ribcage into a fort. She needed to move. “Screw it,” Emma mumbled under her breath then she stood up, not caring that she was dressed in very little clothing.

Snow pointed over her shoulder and said, “I’m going to go get something to drink.”

Emma chuckled as her mom made a hasty exit. She felt a hundred percent better now that Fugitive had relocated to more normal areas of her abdominal cavity. She let out a breath of relief then said, “I thought the kid was going to set up shop under my ribs.” Emma looked at Regina who was still waiting for her explanation. “Oh yeah. I call her that because she’s trying to break out of prison. So she’s a fugitive.”

Regina shook her head and rubbed her forehead with her thumb and forefinger. She dropped her hand as she chuckled. “I forgot you weren’t wearing appropriate clothing. I must be getting used to you running around barefoot and pregnant.” Emma glared at her and Regina smiled, moving the conversation to a safer topic. “Do you want to go upstairs and change? Because your mother isn’t going to leave until she’s spent at least an hour hovering over you.”

Emma groaned then asked, “Can you kick her out? Tell her I went to go take a nap or something?”

“If I do that, she’ll be back later with dinner,” Regina pointed out as she moved closer to Emma.

It was either deal with her mother now or later. If she dealt with her now then she was going to probably snap at her. Emma was feeling cranky since her relaxation time with Regina was ruined. She let out a defeated breath. “I’ll deal with her later. If I deal with her now I will probably lose my shit on her and we’re trying to keep my stress levels low right?”

“Indeed we are.” Regina gave her a quick kiss then said, “Go upstairs and take a shower while I get rid of your mother. Also put on appropriate clothes so we can go for a walk later.”

Emma rubbed her stomach. “As much as I would like to go out into the world I think I might want to stay on the couch and watch TV.” Regina frowned and worry shone in her eyes. Emma quickly told her the reason why she didn’t want to go out. “I just don’t feel like going outside, Regina. It’s nothing else. Plus I think I might fall asleep.”

Regina chuckled a little. “Okay, and if you think you’re going to fall asleep, you should just stay upstairs. The bed will be more comfortable for you than the couch.”

Emma thought about the suggestion. It was a good one, but their room didn’t have TV. However their room did have her wedge pillow, which was beyond comfortable and it prevented Fugitive from getting into the more painful places of her body. Emma had an idea and she got a slight pout on her face. “Can you magic the TV upstairs?”

Regina didn’t like having a TV in their room but either because of Emma’s special circumstances, or her pout actually worked, she conceded. “Fine I will put the TV in our room but I will be sending it back down once you’re asleep.”

Emma leaned in and gave Regina a kiss before grinning. “Thank you. And I won’t snap at you for the rest of the day.”

Regina chuckled and remarked, “It’s still early so I’m not going to hold you to that.”

Emma scowled at her. “I can go a day without snapping at you.”

“I know you can, Emma.” She reached out and ran her finger across her jaw. “Now go shower sweetheart, then relax. I’ll be up when I’ve gotten rid of you mother.”

Emma smiled. Regina knew how to navigate the volatile rollercoaster that were her emotions with ease, and she did it without making Emma feel like she was an idiot. She kissed her one more time then said, “Be nice when you get rid of my mother.”

“No promises dear,” Regina said as she walked out of the living room and into the foyer.

Emma smiled as the other woman disappeared to the back of the house. Her mother and Regina may have gotten along better than they used to but Snow was still able to annoy the piss out of her. Emma went upstairs to their room and got undressed before heading into the bathroom. She started the shower and as she waited for the water to warm up Emma looked at herself in the mirror.

Even though she had severe insecurities about her body, she actually didn’t look that bad for being a week into her eight month. Emma had minimal stretch marks thanks to some cream that Regina had concocted, and all the weight she gained had been evenly distributed. The only thing Emma was determined to work on once Nena was born was her stomach. She was definitely going to start doing crunches once the doctor cleared her.

Though the one pregnancy induced change that she was going to miss were her boobs. Emma had gone up three bra sizes and they were super sensitive which had been fun when she and Regina had been having sex. Now they couldn’t and she was left to deal with excruciating sexual frustration. She couldn’t even get herself off because the orgasm would exacerbate her condition.

Emma sighed then got into the shower. She washed herself then her hair before taking a few minutes to enjoy the water. She was probably going to take a bath later because her back was so sore and the warm water would feel wonderful. Emma got out the shower then toweled off and after she wrapped the big fluffy towel around her body she into the room. Emma saw Regina sitting on the bed and she looked like she was contemplating something. Emma wondered what had happened with her other. Regina turned to look at her and smiled as she got up from the bed. “Come sit down and I’ll rub some moisturizer on you.”

Emma returned the smile and got on the bed, deciding that Regina would tell her what was on her mind eventually. She moved to the middle of the bed and laid down, undoing the towel to give Regina access to her body. The other woman sat on the bed next to her and began to lather her skin with the special cream she had made. The two of them were silent as Regina’s hands roamed all over her body. Emma was turned on, but at the same time she was close to falling asleep. She felt a kiss on her shoulder then Regina murmured, “How’s our fugitive doing?”

Emma smiled and looked at her. “She’s peaceful for right now.” Regina moved to where she was resting back against the head board then she patted the empty spot between her legs. Without a second thought, Emma moved and sat between them then rested back against her. Regina got more cream then began to rub it on her stomach. Emma turned her head and nuzzled her neck. “I like it when you do this.”

Regina smiled and focused on the hand that was gliding across Emma’s stomach. “I like doing this.”

“Even when I’m being a pain in the ass and bitching?” Emma asked with a grin on her face.

Regina chuckled and told her, “You are never a pain in the ass.” She kissed Emma’s temple then explained, “You are carrying our daughter, and that is putting your body through so much hell right now. You’re also not able to do the things that you like to do, and you get irritable. So if you need to lash out then lash out. I’m not going to love you any less because of it.” She chuckled. “Also I know you don’t mean any of it.”

Emma wiped at her eyes. Stupid hormones. She turned her head and Regina smiled at her before giving her a kiss. She pulled her head back and said, “I have something to tell you, but do you want to take a nap first or do you want me to tell you now?”

Emma rested her head back on Regina’s shoulder then asked, “What’s it about?” Regina didn’t say anything as she continued to rub cream on Emma’s stomach. That caused her to look up at her and Emma saw the slight scowl on her face, “Regina…”

Regina rolled her eyes and let out an irritated sigh. She met Emma’s gaze and said, “Your mother has decided to throw us a surprise baby shower this weekend.”

Emma couldn’t stop the annoyance from showing on her face. The weekend was two days away. That didn’t give her enough time to mentally prepare for a shower that she had no desire to be at. Even if it was her own. Emma drew in deep breath then asked, “Did you tell her that we didn’t want a shower?”

For a split second there was an uncomfortable look on her Regina’s face then she sighed again. “I did not. I feel that is a conversation between you and your mother.”

Emma sat up and there was kick to her stomach. Obviously Nena had been comfortable and she wanted to express her displeasure of her movement. She turned to look at Regina and with slight sarcasm she wondered, “Do you think I should be having this conversation with my mother, Regina? I mean honestly?”

Regina pressed her lips together and took a moment before she said, “No, I don’t think you should. But if I do it then she’ll make it seem like I talked you into not wanting one.”

Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Of course she would, my mother is dramatic like that. Fine then I will tell her that I don’t want one.”

There was a look of hesitation in Regina’s eyes then she bit the corner of bottom lip. “I think we should let her throw us one.”

Emma gawked at her. Regina Mills wanted Snow White to throw her a baby shower. She felt like she had fallen into some weird vortex. “Are you kidding me?” She exclaimed

Regina held up her hand and said, “Wait a minute, hear me out Emma.”

Emma folded her arms over her naked chest. “Why do I need to hear you out?”

Regina answered her annoyance with exasperation as she pointed out, “We didn’t have a wedding.”

Emma’s eyebrow went up. “Ohh-kay. What does that have to do with anything?” She didn’t get the point that Regina was trying to make.

Regina chuckled then clarified the statement for her. “We didn’t have a wedding. So there was no planning and your mother never got to be an excited mother of the bride. We took away one of the few milestones that she was looking forward to, and because she’s already missed a lot in regards to you, Emma, I think we should let her do this.”

Emma scowled. She now understood Regina’s point and even though she knew the other woman was right, it didn’t mean that she liked it. Emma moved to get off the bed but she had a hard time getting out of her current sitting position and Regina had to help get up. That irritated her further because how was she supposed have a proper argument if she couldn’t even get off the damn bed by herself? Emma stalked over to their dresser and yanked open one of the drawers, arguing, “That’s not my fault. She and my father made that decision so she doesn’t get to use me to assuage whatever bullshit she feels because she put me in a closet that shipped me off to Maine.”

“Emma that’s not fair,” Regina countered. “She had no choice in the matter. Snow was only doing what she thought was right. If anyone is to blame here it is me because I casted the curse.” Regina got up from the bed and walked over to Emma. She pulled out the black t-shirt that Emma had become so fond of during her pregnancy and handed it to her. Regina ran her hand over her hair and said, “I don’t think she wants to assuage anything. She just wants to celebrate a happy occasion with us and I feel like we should give her that.” She put her hand on Emma’s shoulder. “I know you’re not happy about it and if you want to take it out on someone then you can take it out on me, but not your mother.”

Emma wanted to stay angry at Regina for saying that they should let her mother throw a baby shower for them, but she couldn’t. She knew that Regina still felt guilty about the past no matter how much things had improved for everyone, and if this was one of those things that the love of her life needed to do then she was going to let it to happen; for Regina. But she was going to lay down some ground rules. Emma put on the t-shirt and as she pulled her hair out the top of it she said, “I won’t get mad at her or you but I want you to know that I will only be there for an hour and a half and it will be held here. Also I want all the junk food I can eat and I will play one party game.” She held up her finger. “One, Regina.”

Regina took Emma’s face in her hands then placed a tender kiss on her lips. She moved back and there was a smile on her face. “I will make sure that it stays within those guidelines, but I’m not going to let you eat a ton of junk food.” Emma frowned. Regina chuckled. “However, I’m certain we can work something out.” She moved away from Emma then went into another drawer and pulled out a pair of sweatpants then gave them to Emma. “When we have dinner tonight with your mother, father, and brother tonight we can let them know that we would love to have a baby shower this weekend.”

Emma let out a snort as she pulled on the sweatpants which rested just under Fugitive’s jail cell. She padded back to the bed and grabbed her wet towel to put it in the hamper. She went back over to the bed and situated her angled, memory-foam pillow so that it was resting on the head board of the bed then sat down on it. Emma almost moaned out in pleasure. The pillow alleviated some of the pain that was in her lower back which was caused by carrying another person inside of her. She grabbed the remote for the TV and turned it on, yawning a huge yawn as she began to flip through the channels. Regina was smiling at her as she walked over to her side of the bed. She bent down and kissed her forehead. “Do you need anything?”

Emma looked up at her with puppy dog eyes. “You.”

Regina rolled her eyes even though she had a smile on her face. She got on the bed then moved closer to Emma who cuddled up to her. Despite the curveball of her mother wanting to throw them a baby shower, the day hadn’t been completely bad. It was one of the better ones that she had since being on bed rest. Yet, she wouldn’t be completely happy until Nena was born and she had her body back to herself.

* * *

 “Ow,” Emma muttered but there was another kick to some organ and it hurt like a mother. “Ow Nena. Stop it.” She was lying on her right side so she decided to roll onto her left side thinking it would prevent the baby from kicking her sensitive organs. Emma knew that if she lay on her back Fugitive would find some way to get into her rib fort, and she was not in the mood for that. Emma looked out the bedroom window and saw that it was late afternoon. Being woken from her nap didn’t give Emma the warm and fuzzies so she tried to go back to sleep. She had just closed her eyes when she felt a kidney shot. Emma sat up and looked at her stomach exclaiming, “I am trying to sleep kid. If you let mommy sleep then later I will have some strawberry ice cream.”

“Um…mom? Are you okay?”

Emma looked up and found Henry standing in the doorway of the room with an apprehensive look on his face. The kid had been a saint through most of her pregnancy and he had been doing his best to distract her when he could. Henry knew that she loathed being on bed rest. Emma fell back onto her pillow and let out a frustrated sigh. “Yeah, Henry, I’m fine. Your sister is playing hacky sack with my kidney and it hurts like hell.”

He walked into the room and walked over to her side of the bed then sat down. Henry placed his hand on her stomach and a minute later there was a kick to it. He grinned at Emma and asked, “She does that a lot huh?”

Emma let out a small grunt then smiled. “She’s always on the go. I think she’s going to be a bigger terror than her big brother.”

Henry got a wide smile on his face. “I wasn’t that bad.”

Emma rolled her eyes and said, “Maybe not when you were a little kid, but any ten year old that steals a credit card then jumps on a bus to find his birth mother just to bring her back to some random small town to break a curse  screams terror. “

Henry pointed at her and countered, “And if I didn’t bring you to Storybrooke then you would have never met mom and you wouldn’t be having Nena.”

“You’re missing a lot of in-between there kid, but you’re right.” She smiled at him. “Thanks for that.” She sighed then asked, “Where’s your mom at?”

He got up and said, “At the store. She told me to stay here in case you needed anything.”

Emma nodded and she saw that the TV was still in her and Regina’s room. She grinned. Regina didn’t make good on her promise to remove once she had fallen asleep. She fixed her pillow on the head board then sat back on it. “You want to watch some TV with me?”

Henry got on the bed and sat next to her as he asked, “Can we watch Chopped?”

Emma gave him a slight nod. Her son had an affinity for the Food Ntwork and Chopped was one of his favorite shows. As she turned to the channel she warned, “If it’s anything gross I’m probably going to throw up.”

Henry got a look of disgust on his face. “That’s gross mom.”

“It’s not my fault that I have a sensitive stomach. Blame your sister,” She said when she got to the channel.

Henry chuckled and remarked, “Sure. I’m going to blame the unborn infant.”

“You should because she is a troublemaker this one,” Emma said with a smile on her face and the smile got bigger when Henry cuddled up to her. Tears came to her eyes and Emma looked up at the ceiling hoping that she would be able to stave them off, but a few of them fell anyway. She took a deep breath then kissed the top of Henry’s head and murmured, her throat tight with emotion, “I love you Henry.”

Henry tightened the hold that he had above her stomach and said, “I love you too mom.”

Emma silently cried as the two of them watched Chopped. The fact that her thirteen year old son was willingly to cuddle with his pregnant mother was enough to make her overemotional state even worse, but she was able to cry without Henry noticing.

“Henry....” Emma woke when she heard Regina call for him. She thought only a few minutes had passed, but when she looked at the TV she saw a different episode of Chopped was playing which meant that she had fallen asleep.

Henry shifted so that he could look at the doorway and he said in a quiet voice, “Yeah mom?”

Regina walked into the room smiling. “Why don’t you come help me in the kitchen while we let your mother rest before dinner.”

Emma wiped her hand over her face and mumbled, “I think I’ve rested enough. I’ll come down too.”

Regina moved to her side of the bed and Henry sat up as she sat next to Emma. She gently placed a hand on her cheek and suggested, “Why don’t you stay in bed a little longer? I’ll have your mother come get you when she gets here.”

Emma frowned at that idea. She didn’t want to see her mother after waking up from what would probably be a wonderful nap. She pouted. “Are you really going to do that to me?”

She saw Henry cover his mouth and snicker while Regina bit her bottom lip and smiled. Emma didn’t find the situation funny because her mother’s cheerful personality would clash with her unpleasant one if she wasn’t woken up in the right way. Especially if Fugitive was being rambunctious. Regina smiled at her. “Well who’s going to make dessert while I’m up here coddling you?”

Emma scowled. She didn’t need to be coddled. She just didn’t want to be woken up by her mother. She took a deep breath then she waved her hand and said, “Move. Please.”

Regina stood up and folded her arms across her chest. “Where are you going?”

Emma scooted to the edge of the bed and as she struggled to get out of it she said, “I don’t know, but I’m going.” She swatted Regina’s hands away when she started to help her. “Don’t help me. I’ve got this, Regina.”

Regina stepped away, holding her hands up as she said, “Okay but don’t-“

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Emma snapped, her voice rising as she started to lose control of her emotions. She managed to sit on the edge of the bed but she had lost all her fight as she silently began to cry.

Regina sighed. “Henry can you go set the table for me please?”

“Sure thing mom,” Henry said as he made his out of their room.

Emma felt Regina sit next to her on the bed then she let out a breath. “This is the last time you get pregnant. You’re insufferable.”

Emma lifted her head and looked at Regina, tears staining her cheeks as she continued to cry. “What do you expect from me Regina? I’m a million months pregnant and your daughter uses my kidney, bladder, and whatever other organ she can kick for soccer practice. I’m as big as a fucking house and my body is not my own and you want me to be woken up by my mother when all I want to do is see your face when I first wake up because it makes all this,” she waved over her stomach, “worth it. You look at me like I’m not a fricking house or some incubator for our daughter.” She sniffed and wiped at her face as she finished her rant, “You look at me like I’m still me and that’s what I need when I wake up. I need to know that I’m still me and not some lesser version of myself.”

“Oh Emma…” Regina said as she pulled her close to her. She stroked her hair then kissed the top of her head. Emma tried to get control of her tears but it was a few minutes before she was able to quite down. Regina kissed the top of her head again then sighed. “This version of yourself is _not_ a lesser version of you. You’re pregnant, and yes things about your body have changed, but what you’re going through is a marvelous thing. I couldn’t be more proud of you and I feel so much love for you. So if you need me to be there when you wake up then I will be there.” She kissed Emma’s forehead then whispered, “You’re not insufferable but this is the last time you’re getting pregnant.”

Emma chuckled and wiped at her face, mumbling, “Yeah it is. If we get the crazy notion of having more kids we should get a dog.”

Regina scoffed and said, “I would rather deal with your hormones than a dog. At least I know you won’t tear up my house.” She paused then added, “Though sometimes you do.”

Emma sat up and said, “I do not. When’s the last time I’ve done anything that messed up the house?”

Regina began to list off everything Emma had done to dirty up the house as she got a tissue for her. “Muddy boots in foyer. Let’s not forget the dishes in the sink you like to leave behind. Also wet towels on the floor, dirty laundry on the floor-”

“Okay I get it.” Emma glowered at Regina as she handed her a tissue then she took it and blew her nose.

When she was done Regina smiled and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you feeling better now?” Emma nodded then Regina leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. She pulled back. “Good because I have to go make dinner. Are you staying up here or are you coming downstairs?”

Emma got up from the bed with some help from Regina and said, “I’m going downstairs. Henry and I can play video games while you’re cooking.”

“Or you could help him with his homework,” Regina suggested as they made their way out of the room.

Emma grinned. “Why would I do that? That’s your thing.”

Regina glared at her but it wasn’t a serious one. There was a loving look mixed in with the expression and Emma laughed. She had been overdue for a breakdown and she was glad that Regina recognized when she needed one. Emma took hold of Regina’s hand as they walked down the stairs. She wasn’t going to snap at her for the rest of her pregnancy. There was movement in her stomach and Emma chuckled as she changed that last thought. She was going to do her best and try not to lose it on Regina for the rest of her pregnancy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea where the timeline is on this. I think I brought some ideas together and this is what happened, so let's not think too hard about it. I did, and I got a nosebleed.


	3. Emma Can Only Take So Much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was at NYCC so this is why this is late. There should be another update tomorrow. I think there are two more chapters left....maybe three.

Emma sat in the rocking chair that Regina had conjured into the kitchen for her and was reading her latest book, which was a collection of Shakespearean plays that had dark themes. At the start of her bed rest sentence Emma had found some solace in the darker pieces of literature, and when Regina had noticed the trend she forced her to talk to Archie to make sure that she wasn’t depressed. Emma had spent several sessions with Archie and Regina trying to get them to understand that she wasn’t depressed.

It was during her and Regina’s final session that Emma told her that she only liked reading the dark stories because they soothed the anxiousness that she felt since she wasn’t able to go to work. That staying at home for an extended amount of time was driving her insane. After that Regina relented, but hovered for a few days before she realized there was nothing to worry about.

Emma was reading the third act of Macbeth when the door bell rang and Regina muttered, “Of course your parents are early. And I haven’t even checked the roast.”

Emma put her bookmark in her book then closed it. She was about to get up but Regina pointed at her and said, “Stay. Read.” Then she shouted, “Henry let your grandparents in please.”

“Okay mom,” Henry hollered back.

Emma raised her eyebrow and said, “I’m fully capable of answering the front door, Regina.”

Regina got a pleasant smile on her face. “I know you are dear but you seemed to be enjoying your book and I didn’t want you to be interrupted.”

Emma eyed her with a suspicious look as she said, “Of course you didn’t.”

Regina just grinned at her and Emma shook her head. It was moments like this that she wasn’t able to resist Regina but it was short lived when the sound of little feet running down the hall brought her attention to the entryway of the kitchen. Neal came barreling into the kitchen and the moment he saw Regina he yelled, “Eena!”

Regina moved from where she was standing at the island to face the toddler. “Neal!”

He giggled and ran to her. Emma smiled and watched as Regina stooped down so that the little boy could run into her arms. Her little brother adored the former Evil Queen; he was also another reason why Emma had decided to get pregnant. Seeing Regina with Neal and the joy that appeared on her face anytime he was around made Emma want to experience that all the time, but with their own child.

She began to rub her stomach and when Nena thumped against her stomach her smile grew wider. Regina walked over to Emma as she carried Neal and she tapped his nose with her finger which caused him to giggle. “You want to say hi to your big sister?”

Neal rested his head on Regina’s shoulder and mumbled, “Hi ‘issy.”

Emma reached out and tickled his stomach. “Oh so now you’re going to be shy, but when you’re beating me up it’s okay for you to be a monster?”

Neal smiled and pointed at her stomach. “Baby. Be careful.”

Emma finally understood why her brother had been so bashful around her lately. Either her mother, father, or Regina had told him to be careful around her because he might hurt the baby.  Emma held out her arms and said, “Come here little bro.”

Neal looked at her then at Regina. She nodded to him then handed him to Emma. After getting him situated on her knee Emma told him, “You do have to be careful but you can still sit on my lap and you can talk to the baby. She likes it when people talk to her. Especially her uncle Neal.”

Neal eyed her stomach suspiciously then he looked up at her and asked, “Touch?” Emma chuckled. Neal was so curious but at the same time he didn’t want to hurt her. She took his hand and placed it on stomach. He was surprised for a second then he wondered, “Baby inside?”

She nodded. “Yes she is, just like you were. And she’s kicking and rolling around having all sorts of fun.”

Emma’s parents walked into the kitchen and David nodded at Regina then smiled at Emma. “How are you feeling today Em?”

Emma smiled as Neal began to rub her stomach and she said, “Best question to ask would be how I’m feeling at this moment.”

Regina closed the oven and remarked, “Well you had a meltdown two hours ago so the next one shouldn’t be for a while.” Emma got a deadpanned look on her face and the other woman smiled, “I love you.”

“Of course you do.” She looked at her mom and said, “Regina told me what you have planned mom.” Snow got an incredulous look on her face and gawked at Regina.

Regina went back to making dessert and commented, “I had to tell her or you would have ended up with an angry, hostile Emma all because you decided to spring a surprise baby shower on her.” She gave the woman a pointed look. “Though if you’re looking to deal with one of her mood swings then be my guest dear.”

Snow actually looked a little afraid which was understandable. Emma had gone off on her a month into her second trimester because she was still getting used to her hormones and Snow had crossed a boundary, like she so often does. However now that Emma was used to her unpredictable hormones, she tried not to snap at her mother. Snow shook her head and said, “No, no. That’s fine.” She looked at Emma. “So are you okay with it? The shower?”

Emma didn’t want to do the shower, but then she remembered the conversation that she and Regina had and  why she was doing this. It was for Regina. Emma forced a smile on her face as she said, “Yeah I am. I’m excited for Saturday.”

Regina coughed and Emma quickly glanced at her, seeing that she was covering up the smile that was on her face. At least there was one person in the room that could see through her bullshit though her father had a skeptical look on his face. Her mother on the other hand, rushed over and bent down to hug her as she said, “Thank you so much Emma. It will be the best baby shower that you will ever have.”

Emma scoffed then remarked, “It will be the last baby shower I will ever have. Regina and I have decided that Nena will be our last.”

Snow looked between her and Regina. “Are you serious?”

Emma went to go say something but Neal squealed the same time Nena kicked and she started to laugh. “Mema! Mema!” Neal cried out, fear shining in his wide eyes.

Emma took a deep breath and tried not to laugh as she she said, “I know buddy. She kicked. It’s okay. She does it all the time.” She grimaced a little. “Sometimes into my kidney.”

“’idney?” Neal asked still not certain about what had just happened.

Emma chuckled then kissed his cheek before saying, “Yeah my kidney.” He still looked confused and Emma shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. But it means she likes you.”

Neal stared at her stomach, still wary about it and Emma chuckled. She placed him on the ground and said, “Go find Henry and tell him to help you wash for dinner.”

The one and a half year old ran out of the kitchen shouting, “Hen! Hen!”

Emma smiled then sat back in the rocking chair. David sat in one of the chairs in front of the island and said, “We miss you down at the station Em. I mean nothing exciting is going on but the town misses their sheriff.”

Emma looked out the backdoor and remarked, “I dunno dad, from what I hear, the mayor really likes working with my replacement.”

Regina scoffed. “Working with your father is annoying. He has bad penmanship then on top of that he doesn’t come with the perks that working with my wife does.”

Emma looked at Regina and grinned. They rarely called each other wife because it was just a title that really didn’t mean much to them, but when one of them did use it, they both got a reminder that this was their life together and it was pretty damn perfect. Emma said, “I’m certain it doesn’t, though if it does, congrats on getting your vengeance against my mother.”

Regina got a wicked smile on her face and looked at David who began to turn a bright shade of red while Snow gawked at everyone in the kitchen. It was a comical scene and it made Emma happy. Regina walked over to Emma and gave her a kiss before she whispered, “I got my vengeance another way.” As she stood up she got a seductive glint in her eyes then walked back to the stove to take the roast out of the oven.

Emma sat there for a moment, stunned by what Regina was insinuating, but at the same time she was turned on. She shook her head then looked down at her stomach. “Okay you’ve got three weeks or you’re getting evicted.” She heard Regina chuckle and Emma knew that the woman had meant to rile her up. Regina could be evil sometimes, but now she was evil in a different way, and Emma loved every moment of it. 

* * *

  _Two Days Later…._

Emma glared at her stomach as she rested against the head board. It was five in the morning and she was up. Again. She let out a tired sigh and rubbed her stomach while her eyes drifted close. The wild child that occupied her abdomen was rolling around and kicking at organs that were vital in keeping them both alive. This was fifth time that Nena had woken her up that week and Emma was tired of it. This also meant that she was going to have an impromptu nap in some random spot later. Yesterday, she had fallen asleep on the back porch for three hours. She had gone out there to escape the boredom that came with listening to her mother and Regina plan for the shower that was today.

The shower had been planned within the guidelines that Emma had made up and then some. Not only did she have to be at it for just an hour, she was also given a free pass to escape without too much of a fuss from her mother if she got tired or something. Emma planned to use that excuse thirty minutes into the shower and after she had eaten several pieces of cheesecake and a burger or two. Thinking about food caused Emma’s stomach to growl. She would give anything to have a deluxe burger with bacon from Granny’s followed by a sundae.

Emma looked at Regina then at the clock. Granny’s would be open in a half hour and the walk to the diner wouldn’t be that bad as long as she took it slow. With a goal in mind and her stomach craving the greasy food, Emma eased, to the best of her abilities, out of the bed without waking Regina up. The other woman mumbled something as she slipped out but didn’t wake up. Emma walked over to the dresser and changed into sweats and a t-shirt then she made her way out of the room. When she got downstairs and into the foyer she put on her Uggs, yes she owned Uggs because they were the only footwear she could deal with at the moment, before making her way out of the house after putting on her jacket.

It was a beautiful morning and Emma enjoyed the silence that blanketed the town before everyone woke up and it was alive with activity. She rounded the corner that put her on main street which would lead her Granny’s when she saw the Sheriff’s car coming down the road. She was busted. Emma continued to walk as the car came to a stop in front of her. The window rolled down and her dad said, “Emma, you’re supposed to be at home.”

“I just wanted a burger from Granny’s,” Emma whined as her father got out the car. “Can I at least have a burger before you take me back to my prison?”

David eyed her as he walked around the car then folded his arms over his chest and asked, “Are you in any pain?” She shook her head. “Is my granddaughter okay?” Emma nodded her head. He looked at her for a second then moved to open the passenger door of the cruiser. “I’ll take you to Granny’s, but you have to call Regina.”

Emma sighed. “Okay, but can I call her after I’ve gotten two bites of my burger?”

“No,” David replied then gestured for her to get into the car. Emma climbed into the cruiser and he closed the door behind her. Her father walked around to the driver’s side and once he was in the car David said, “You will call her as soon as we get there or I will take you home and you will have to deal with her.”

“Fine then.”

They drove to Granny’s and the older woman was just opening up the diner when they got out. Granny saw Emma and remarked, “My word, no wonder why you were put on bed rest. What are you doing out here? You should be at home.”

Emma clasped her hands together and begged, “Can I puh-lease have a deluxe burger with bacon? Please?”

Granny gestured towards the diner and said, “Come on now and I’ll see what I can whip up.”

“Uh....Em?” David said as they entered the door.

Emma looked back at him and he was holding up his phone. She groaned. As she took it from him she said, “I’m telling mom that you drop Neal off with Regina and I on Sundays so that you can go down to the Rabbit Hole to drink with Leroy and watch the game.” David laughed at her as she walked over to one of the booths and sat down in it. She took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for the verbal lashing that was about to ensue. Emma went through the contacts on the phone then tapped on the one for Regina. It rang a couple times then a tired, “What?” came through the line.

“Hey babe.” Emma said sounding a little sheepish.

“Emma?” Regina wondered, sounding confused. Emma heard rustling then Regina exclaimed, “Emma! Are you okay? What happened? Where are you?”

Emma picked at the flowers that were on the table and said, “I’m fine. The baby’s fine. I wanted a burger and I’m at Granny’s.”

“Emma how-I’m coming down there.” Regina stated.

Before Emma could argue Regina poofed into the diner, still in her pajamas, and she looked around before her eyes landed on the blond. She stalked over to Emma then folded her arms across her chest and raised her eyebrow, waiting to hear Emma’s excuse. Emma got a bashful look on her face as she said, “I was up because Nena was using my kidney as a soccer ball and I wanted a burger. I thought I would walk-“

“You walked here?” Regina asked her tone a mixture of incredulity and anger. “Emma are you a complete imbecile or are you just that careless with your own health and that of our daughter’s?”

Emma was looking down at the table as she apologized, “I’m sorry. I thought it would be okay because it’s not that far of a walk.”

Regina threw her hands up and let out an exasperated sigh, “You’re supposed to be on bed rest with minimal activity. You walking five blocks is not minimal activity.” She scoffed then turned around and said to David, “Drive her home. I’m going back to bed.” And with that she was gone.

David slid into the booth and asked, “You want a shake?”

Emma got a small smile on her face and said, “Yeah. Thanks dad.”

David got up and he kissed the top of her head. “No problem Emma.”

She sighed and thought about what she had done. It probably wasn’t the smartest idea but she just wanted to get out of the house and the fact that she was hungry fuelled her decision to come to Granny’s. Regina was going to be pissed at her for a while about this one.

A strawberry shake was placed in front of her and she looked up to see her dad smiling down at her. She was going to enjoy her meal then she would grovel for Regina’s forgiveness and be the best bed ridden pregnant wife ever.

* * *

 Regina wasn’t talking to her and Emma knew that she deserved it. She was sitting on the back porch in the rocking chair, rocking as she looked out at the backyard. There was a gentle breeze blowing and it was so relaxing. Emma knew that she was going to pass out at any minute now. The backdoor opened and Regina stepped in front of her as she asked, “Are you all right?”

Emma nodded and hummed then she reached out for her hand. Regina glared at it then took it as she moved closer to her. Emma rested her head on the other woman’s stomach then said, “Did I mention how sorry I am about this morning?”

She heard Regina sigh and the woman was quiet for a moment then she stroked Emma’s hair as she said, “I know you’re sorry, but it still doesn’t forgive how careless you were.” She paused but the movement of her hand through Emma’s hair didn’t stop. Emma wondered if Regina did it more for her own sake than she did for her. Either way it seemed as though the both of them benefitted from it. “I know you hate being limited in what you can do, you’re a damn hero after all, but you need to be a different kind of hero at this moment. One that ensures that our daughter is brought into this world safely and in good health, so you must abide by the doctor’s orders.”

Regina was right and Emma knew that she had been an idiot. She lifted her head and pushed out of the rocking chair then moved to stand in front of Regina. She placed a hand on her cheek then leaned in to give her a kiss. Emma moved back and said, “I will and I’m sorry for scaring you.” Regina looked away and Emma could tell that the woman wanted to deny that she had been scared however it was too late. Emma would see through that lie right away. “From here on out until the Fugitive has escaped I will be on my best behavior.”

Regina chuckled a little and remarked, “I do wish you would stop calling our daughter a fugitive. She’ll get a complex.”

Emma grinned. “She might but I think having a former Evil Queen for a mother will make her think twice before committing actual crimes.”

Regina placed a soft kiss on her lips then smiled. “Let’s not forget that you’re sheriff so she’ll probably be more afraid of you than me.” She took hold of her hand. “Come on your mother wants you to see the decorations and I want to show you what Neal and I have done for you and the baby.”

They walked inside and Emma wondered, “You and Neal? Uh-oh I’m worried.”

Regina looked back at her and smirked. “You should be.”

The two of them walked to the bigger living room and it was covered in pink balloons, streamers, one wall had a banner on it that read _It’s A Girl._ It was a lot of pink and Emma wanted to bolt from the room but Regina squeezed her hand. Snow looked at her with a huge smile on her face. “What do you think?”

Emma bit her tongue to prevent herself from actually saying what was on her mind and forced a smile on her face. “It’s great mom. Just a lot of pink. Like I fell into a bag of cotton candy or something.”

Snow turned around to admire her handiwork as she said, “I know it is, but I wanted it to be special for you.”

Emma looked around the room and muttered under her breath, “Oh it’ll be special all right. After I puke on everything.” There was a nudge to her ribs and she looked at Regina who was giving her a pointed look so she forced a smile on her face and moved towards her mother. Emma gave her a hug and despite the fact that she was adamantly against this shower, she was glad that her mom was here to celebrate the birth of her and Regina’s daughter. She was even happier with the fact that they all had moved on from the tumultuous past.

Emma felt the tears form in her eyes and she squeezed them tight hoping that they would go away but they didn’t. She started crying as she whispered, “Thank you mom.”

Snow tightened the hold that she had around Emma and whispered back, “Oh Emma, you don’t have to thank me. You’re my daughter and I will always be here to share in all your special occasions.”

That made her tears worse and Emma moved away from her mother then went for Regina. As soon as the other woman’s arms were wrapped around her she began to cry harder. Emma felt a kiss on the side of her head and Regina whispered, “It’s okay. I’ve got you Em.”

“Oh gosh what have I done?” Snow asked with a slight panic to her voice.

Emma felt Regina chuckle a little before she said, “You didn’t do anything. This is Emma’s new way of showing how grateful she is for everyone and everything in her life.”

After a few minutes Emma was able to calm down enough so that she didn’t have to hide in Regina’s arms. She took a deep breath then lifted her head. Regina wiped her eyes and asked, “Are you okay?” Emma nodded her head then Regina kissed her before smiling at her. “Good. Now I want to show you the surprise from me and Neal.”

Emma let out a tearful chuckle. “What could you and my brother possibly have done? I’m certain you did most of the work since he’s barely two.”

Regina smiled then called out, “Neal, can you come here please?”

They heard him run across the foyer from the smaller living room and he shouted, “Okay Eena.”

When he got to the archway of the living room he jumped into the room before running over the Regina. She picked him up then whispered something in his ear and Neal said, “’Kay.”

She put him down and he walked over to Emma, “Mema hand.”

With a suspicious look on her face Emma took her little brother’s hand then they walked out of the living room then made their way to the stairs where he stopped and looked at her, lifting his arms. “Up.”

Regina walked over and picked him up as she muttered, “Forgot you can’t go upstairs.” The three of them walked upstairs to the second floor then Regina put Neal down on the floor and he ran to the door that was for Nena’s room and he giggled. “Baby room.”

“I know it is but what did you and Regina do?” Emma asked as she smiled at her little brother.

They went inside the room, which had been barely decorated a month ago, and Emma saw that it was now decorated, furnished, and ready to go for Nena’s arrival. The walls were painted lavender and the trim was a maroon color. The carpet was a plush one that matched the trim. The furniture all matched and seemed to be made from the same wood as the crib, which was walnut. The crib itself had been handmade by Marco and he had carved Nena’s name into the side that was against the wall and the letters were painted gold.

Emma placed her hand on her stomach, feeling the Fugitive squirm around as she looked around the room. It was beautiful and she was surprised that Regina had managed to get it done. Emma looked at her with tears in her eyes and asked, “When did you do this?”

Regina smiled. “During your three hour nap yesterday. It required a bit of magic but Neal helped me.” She winked at Emma. “He’s going to make a great wizard one day.”

“Zerd!” Neal said as he jumped up and waved his arm around. Then he stopped pretending to be wizard and asked, “’Issy like for baby?”

Emma grinned at him. “I certainly do. You and Regina did a very good job. Nena is going to be very happy to see it too.”

Neal had a proud smile on his face which made Emma chuckle. She looked at Regina who was smiling at her. She moved closer to her and gave her a kiss. Emma pulled back and said, “Thank you so much.”

Regina let out small chuckle.  “Don’t thank me. She’s my daughter too. I thought I’d do some heavy lifting since you’re doing the brunt of it.”

Emma rolled her eyes and remarked, “At this point I’m just a pillow princess just waiting to pop.”

Regina chuckled then gave her a kiss before rubbing the side of her protruding stomach. “But you’re still doing most of the work.” She looked around the room. “Crap. Where is your brother?”

Emma chuckled because Regina didn’t use words like crap often but when she did it was adorable. She looked around Nena’s room then called out, “Neal where are you?”

There was silence for a moment then he came running back down the hall and into the baby’s room with a smile on his face. Emma eyed him for a second then looked at Regina. The two of them looked at the toddler then Regina murmred, “I’m going to see what he was into.”

She started to walk out of the room but Neal said, “Eena….?”

Regina stooped down so that she was eye level with him and smiled. “Yes little prince?”

“Eena go color?” He asked with his best puppy dog look which Regina was a sucker for no matter which Charming it was coming from. However she was more susceptible to it when it was coming from Neal.

Regina chuckled and asked, “Do you want to tell me what you were doing first?” He shook his head. “Your big sister is going to find out if you don’t tell me.”

Neal looked at Emma and she raised an eyebrow at him then he said in a quiet voice, “Hen book.”

Regina nodded. “You were reading Henry’s comic books?” Neal nodded and smiled. “Okay, but you’re not supposed to be Henry’s room.”

Neal dropped his chin to his chest then his bottom lip poked out before he said, “Sawee.”

Emma smiled as she watched as Regina kissed the top of his head before she told him, “You are forgiven but ask next time. Let’s go downstairs and we’ll get you some crayons and a coloring book.”

Neal smiled as Regina picked him up and as they were headed out of the baby’s room he said, “’Issy color.”

Emma walked over to the rocking chair that was in the corner and said, “You go color kid. I’m going to sit down for a moment.”

Regina got a worried look on her face. “Are you okay?”

Emma nodded and as she got comfortable in the rocking she rubbed her stomach. “Yeah babe. My back hurts a bit.” Regina still looked worried and she smiled. “Go color, Regina. I’m fine.”

Regina pointed at her and said, “I will be back up here once I have him preoccupied.”

Emma smiled. “I’m counting on it.”

Regina walked out of the baby’s room and Emma put her feet up on the gliding foot rest then closed her eyes. She was glad that Regina had managed to get Nena’s room setup. Now they were only waiting for the little one’s arrival and Emma couldn’t wait for that to happen.


	4. It's The Final Countdown

The sound of a balloon popping startled Emma awake and for a moment she was confused about where she was. She looked around the room that she was in and when she saw the changing table and crib, she remembered that she was in Nena’s room, then she realized that she had fallen asleep. Emma groaned then stood up and stretched as best as she could which caused the baby residing inside of her to kick several times. One of those kicks landed on her bladder which was screaming out of relief and Emma rubbed her stomach saying, “Watch where you’re kicking kid. Pissing all over myself isn’t high on my agenda today.”

Emma left the room and as she walked down the hall she could hear the noise of the party that was being held downstairs, which had started without her. She frowned. This meant that she was going to have to walk down there by herself. Emma went to her and Regina’s room then headed for their bathroom. After she used the toilet she went back in their room and grabbed her wedged pillow off the bed. Her back was killing her today. Emma briefly wondered if her adventure to Granny’s that morning had anything to do with her pain.

She walked out of the room then made her way downstairs to the party that was in celebration of her daughter. When Emma reached the foyer she glanced into the larger living room and saw all the people that her mother had invited. Deciding that there were too many people for her liking she went into the smaller living room. Emma dropped her pillow on the couch then grabbed the remote for the TV which had found its way back downstairs.

Once she was comfortable on the couch Emma turned on the TV and flicked through the channels several times before landing on a Bones marathon. Ten minutes later she was clutching one of the throw pillows and watching Booth and Brennan track through the woods as they look for evidence, so far there hadn’t been any gross bits yet. Emma heard heels in the foyer and out the corner of her eye she saw Regina walk into the room. She looked at her and smiled. “Have you come to get me?”

Regina smiled at her then moved closer to the couch as she said, “No unless you would like to join in the festivities.” She glanced at the TV then back at Emma. “Are you sure you should be watching this?”

Regina sat down on the edge of the couch and Emma took her hand. “It hasn’t gotten gross yet. How is everything?”

Regina rubbed her stomach and said, “Your mother is being a wonderful hostess so I really don’t have to do anything. However I do keep getting questions about where you are. How’s our little one doing?”

Emma smiled and said, “She is up and kicking. Although the angle of the pillow is keeping her from going under my ribs.”

“I see you brought down your pillow. Why?” Regina asked raising one of her eyebrows.

Emma was reluctant to tell Regina but she knew she was concerned so she answered the question. “My back hurts. I think-I-“She sighed then continued, “I think my walk this morning might have caused it.”

Regina didn’t say anything but she did give her a slight nod. “Okay. Sit up.” Emma got a confused look on her face and the other woman stood up then stepped out of her heels as she said, “Your back hurts so I’m going to rub it.”

Emma rolled her eyes and rested hand on her protruding stomach as she argued, “You don’t have to do this, Regina. Let’s go to the shower then you can give me a back rub later.”

Regina gave her a pointed look. “Emma...” The tone of her voice told Emma that she had no room to argue and that she was going to get a back rub whether she wanted one or not, and despite herself, she really wanted one.

“Okay, okay,”  she said as she moved down on the couch so that she could make from for Regina behind her. The other woman sat behind her and once they were both comfortable Regina started massaging Emma’s lower back. She knew exactly where to rub and Emma let out a low moan. “God your hands are amazing.”

Regina chuckled and told her, “You’re only saying that because it’s torturing you.”

Emma looked back at her and smiled. “No I’m not. I’m saying it because they are amazing and I love them.” She gave her a kiss then said, “Just like I love you.”

Regina hummed then smirked. “Indeed.” She gave Emma another kiss then said, “Turn around dear.”

Emma turned around and Regina continued her back massage. After a half hour passed Snow came walking into the living room and said, “Here you are. I was wondering where you went to.” She smiled at Emma. “I see you’re up, Emma. Regina told me that you had fallen asleep in the baby’s room.”

Emma gave her mom a small smile and chuckled. “I did but I woke up. Sorry I didn’t come to the shower.”

Snow smiled at her and said, “It’s okay. It looks like the excitement would have been too much for you anyway.” She chuckled. “As long as you agree to come open presents then everything else doesn’t matter.”

Emma got a genuine smile on her face. Her mom wasn’t going to force her to socialize and she was grateful for it. Because where she currently was, and the company that she was currently with, was all she wanted at the moment. So she agreed. “Okay mom come get me when you’re ready to do that.”

Snow nodded then asked, “Did you want anything?”

Emma bit her bottom lip then wondered with a small, sheepish grin, “Can I have some hot wings, a couple triangle sandwiches, and a slice or two of cheesecake with the strawberry topping?” Regina cleared her throat and Emma looked back at her. She received an almost serious glare so she added, “And I’ll have some broccoli and carrot sticks.”

Regina muttered under her breath, “I’m making you a shake for later.”

Emma grimaced with disgust. “Gross.”

Snow snickered and said, “I’ll see what I can do for you.”

Her mother left the living room and Emma took hold of Regina’s hands then leaned back against her. She placed her hands on her stomach then said, “I could get used to this baby shower thing. Doesn’t require too much.”

Regina chuckled then kissed her temple before saying, “That’s because you’ve barely made an appearance and you got to hide out in here. Also your mother is scared of you so she wouldn’t dare do anything to upset you.”

They both laughed and Emma smiled. “I’m not that bad.”

Regina rubbed her stomach and remarked, “You have your moments but no, you’re not that bad.”

Emma got comfortable and let out a content sigh before murmuring, “You’re obligated to say that.” She looked at their hands as they rested on her stomach and grinned. “You excited for her to get here?”

Regina chuckled then kissed her temple. “I definitely am but I’m probably not as excited as you are.”

Emma was about to say that she enjoyed carrying their daughter but was interrupted when Neal started crying and calling out for Regina. Emma got a confused look on her face and asked, “Why is my brother calling you?”

Regina chuckled then told her, “Because I left him playing with Henry and he must have realized that I’ve disappeared. Let me go get him.”

Emma groaned but she lifted up so Regina could get up. When she was standing Emma adjusted her wedge pillow and rested back against it. Her mom came in with her plate of food and as she handed it to her she asked, “Anything else?”

Emma chuckled then told her, “No mom. But thank you for all this.” She grimaced a little. “I’m sorry I didn’t make more of an appearance, but I just couldn’t deal with it and my back’s hurting.”

Snow smiled at her. “It’s fine Emma. Remember, I’ve had two kids.”

Emma took a bite out of her hot wing then asked around it, “Was Neal ever this wild or me for that matter? Nena is always moving and the only way to get her to stop is if Regina to talks to her.”

Snow sat down on the other end of the couch and said, “You were very active but I think that had more to do with everything that was going on around us. Neal was quiet. Very mellow compared to how he was once he was born.”

Emma continued to eat and she took a bite out of her sandwich then remarked, “Yeah I think this one is going to be nothing but trouble. I’ll switch her for Neal.”

Snow laughed then stated, “I don’t think Regina will take too kindly to you swapping your brother for her daughter.”

“She loves Neal,” Emma said before getting a huge grin on her face. “Plus I think she would like another son.”

Snow laughed and she was still laughing when Regina walked into the living room carrying Neal. She looked at Emma then at Snow before she looked back at Emma. “What’s so funny?”

Emma smiled at Regina. “Nothing babe, just talking to my mom about being pregnant.”

“Then she offered to swap Nena for Neal,” Snow told Regina which caused Emma to scowl at her.

Regina handed Neal over to Snow and said, “As much as I love your brother he isn’t ours and Nena is ours. Plus you will have gone through all of this for nothing.”

Emma rolled her eyes and focused on her food. She still believed that Nena was going to be trouble for all of them. An hour later Emma was fed and close to passing out again when Snow asked, “Are you ready to open presents and socialize a bit?”

Emma took a deep breath then she smiled and said, “Sure thing mom.”

Regina helped her up and they made their way into the larger living room. Everyone said hi to Emma and asked where she had been but Regina covered for her so she didn’t have to say much. Snow announced that Emma was going to be opening presents so everyone made their way into the room. Emma went through the tedious process of opening up the presents that everyone had gotten her even though she just wanted her bed and Regina. A lot of the gifts were normal necessities that the baby would need but it was the gift that she got from her parents that really got a response out of her. Her father had given Emma a large gift bag then a small rectangular box that was wrapped. “The big one is just yours Em, but the smaller one is for both you and Regina.”

Emma was pulling out the tissue paper that covered her present then she pulled out a black leather jacket and she heard Regina mutter, “Oh great another one.”

Emma grinned at the stylish jacket that her mother had probably picked out. “I can never have enough leather jackets babe.” She smiled at David. “Thanks dad.” She set it down then she opened the small box. She pulled out two gift certificates for a bed and breakfast that was an hour outside of Storybrooke. Emma wasn’t certain how to react to the present so she continued to smile as she handed the certificates to Regina. “Thanks mom and dad.”

Snow chuckled and told her, “They’re for when you’re feeling up to it. Your father and I will watch Henry and Nena that way you two can get a break.”

Tears came to Emma’s eyes and Regina began to rub her back. Even though her mother’s hovering had annoyed her for most of her pregnancy the gift was a thoughtful one, and Emma greatly appreciated it. She got up from the chair that she was sitting in, with a little help from Regina, then she gave her mom a hug. As silent tears made their way down her face she whispered, “Thank you so much. I love you.”Snow hugged her back and the two of them had a mother-daughter moment that Emma knew her mom was fond of.

The rest of the baby shower continued on for another hour then Regina kicked everyone out saying that Emma needed to get more rest. Snow and David stayed to help Regina and Henry clean while Emma and Neal laid on the couch watching TV in the living room. By the time everything was cleaned up and her parents were ready to go Neal had fallen asleep. Her parents said goodbye to her then Henry joined her in the living room. Henry was eating a gigantic piece of cake when he asked, “So Ma, when are you and Mom going on your honeymoon?”

Emma chuckled and told him, “I think we’re two years too late for a honeymoon kid.”

He grinned at her. “Nah it’s never too late. Also when will you two ever have the chance to go on one?”

Emma shook her head laughed a little. “We’ll see. We’ve got awhile before me and your Mom will be able to go on any trips.”

Regina walked into the living room and said, “Henry you’ve got frosting on your face and no more cake. You’ve had five pieces already.” She looked at Emma and smiled. “How are you feeling sweetheart?”

Emma grinned when Regina kissed her forehead. Despite her protests about the baby shower the day hadn’t been a terrible one, even though she wasn’t at most of it, and she had enjoyed spending the time with her family. She looked up at Regina. “I’m fine babe. Henry and I were talking about our supposed honeymoon.”

Regina let out a small laugh then she tapped Emma’s shoulder and said, “Sit up.” Emma sat up and the other woman sat behind her. When she was settled Regina started massaging Emma’s lower back. She let out a soft groan. The pain in her back had gotten better, but it hadn’t gotten worse. Either way it had been killing her for a while now so the massage was more than welcomed. “Henry we’ve been married for two years so it’s too late for us to have a honeymoon dear.” She paused then she chuckled. “But it will be nice to get away when we get the chance. We have a few months though. Have to get settled with Nena first.”

Emma was close to falling asleep but she mumbled, “Unless she’s a brat.”

Regina kissed the back of her neck then said, “Don’t call her a brat.” She lowered her voice, “Time for bed isn’t it?” Emma let out a small grunt and Regina chuckled. “Henry your mom and I are going to bed. Don’t stay up too late and no more cake. I know how much is left.” Regina got up then held out her hands for Emma to take.

Emma scowled at them but then a yawn escaped her. She decided to give up pretences and took Regina’s offered hands. They told Henry goodnight then went upstairs to their room. Emma changed into boxer shorts that barely covered her ass and a tank top that didn’t cover her stomach before she got into bed. While Regina was getting ready for bed Emma began to drift off. She was almost in a deep sleep when she felt Regina get into bed with her. The other woman cuddled up to her and rubbed her stomach as she whispered, “You did quite well today.”

Emma smiled with her eyes still closed. She covered Regina’s hand with her own as she let out a tired chuckle. “Well we got a weekend getaway out of it.”

Regina laughed a little then she kissed Emma’s shoulder. “See and it’s because of our Fugitive that we got that so be nice to her.”

Emma squeezed her hand and muttered, “I will be nice to her once she is out.”

“Of course you will.” Regina rubbed her stomach and said, “Now gets some sleep.”

The two of them went to sleep and Emma felt wonderful about how the day had gone. All she had to do now was get through was the rest of her pregnancy then she would have more good days than bad ones.

* * *

Emma had one more week until her due date and it was taking all her willpower to not call her OB/GYN to have a c-section schedule. She was sitting in the rocking chair that was on the back porch reading a collection of Edgar Allen Poe poems while Nena rolled around inside of her. The infant had been more active ever since Emma’s false labor had become more prevalent. This also meant that she had become more irritable the last few days. The false contractions were making her more miserable and she was snapping at anyone who dared to say hello to her.

After being kicked in the bladder for the billionth time Emma slammed her book shut then got up from her rocking chair and stormed into the house. She walked into Regina’s study where the woman was working and exclaimed, “I’m done. I am through with all of this. Call Whale and let him know I want a c-section right now.”

Emma had forgotten that Regina was holding a meeting in her office with the town development committee and everyone who was present looked at her. Emma felt her face heat up and Regina grinned at her. She then stood and said, “Ladies and gentleman if you would excuse me I just need to talk to Emma for a moment then we can pick up where we left off.” Regina walked over to her and she escorted Emma out of the study.

The two of them walked into the living room and Emma let out a frustrated breath and said, “I’m sorry babe. I just-“ She started to tear up and her emotions got the best of her. “I’m done with being pregnant. My stupid false labor is happening more often than my indigestion. Your daughter is ready to escape because she’s gotten too big for her living space and-and-“ Emma started to cry and Regina rubbed her back hoping it would console her but instead all it did was irritate her further.

“Why don’t you go lay down? Maybe that will alleviate some of your symptoms.” Regina suggested.

Emma shook her head and muttered, “Whatever.” Regina helped her up the stairs then they went up to the room.

Regina made sure that she was comfortable then kissed her forehead. “I love you Em and if you need anything just text me.”

Emma grabbed the remote for the TV which had now become a staple in their room over the last few days. She flipped through a few channels then stopped on a Grey’s Anatomy marathon knowing that she wouldn’t be able to watch most of it. She had been peeing more so she would be lucky if she saw twenty minutes of the show. Emma was watching Dr. McDreamy flirt with Meredith in an elevator when she felt a strong contraction but she ignored it because her false labor had been varying in intensity so it wasn’t something that was new for her.

At some point Emma had fallen asleep but was woken up by another false contraction. She groaned. The fact that these things were coming more frequently meant that they were going to turn into real labor eventually and Emma, though thoroughly fed up with being pregnant, wasn’t certain if she was quite prepared for that. She moved to get out of bed and as she stood up she felt a dribble of fluid run down her inner thigh.

An expression of sheer disgust came to her face. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Emma shook her head then went over to the dresser to get a new pair of boxers and a t-shirt before wandering into the bathroom for a shower. It was obvious that pregnancy had some final tricks for her and that included pissing on herself. Emma was in the middle of washing her hair when she felt another contraction though this one was more intense than the last one that she felt. This one was actually painful. She groaned and held her stomach.

Emma took several deep breaths as she waited for it to pass. Even though it was painful as hell it lasted the same amount of time as all the others had. Emma took a deep as she remembered something. She finished washing her hair, skipping the conditioner, then got out of the shower. She went into the room and got dressed in sweatpants and her t-shirt. Emma walked downstairs and she paused for a moment to let another contraction pass. When she reached the foyer she called out, “Regina...”

Regina came down the hall that led to the kitchen and said, “Emma, sweetie what’s wrong?”

Emma got a tearful smile on her face. “It’s time.”

Regina got a perplexed look on her face and chuckled. “It’s time for what?”

Emma glanced down at her protruding stomach and Regina looked confused for a moment but then her eyes grew wide as she realized what Emma was talking about. “Are you sure?” Tears fell from Emma’s eyes as she nodded her head. Regina eyes grew bright as a wide smile came to her face. “Okay. And how long have you been having contractions? There is no need for you to go to the hospital if everything is fine.”

Emma began to walk into the living room and said, “Every half hour it feels like. Also I think my water broke or sorta broke.”

“Sorta broke?”

Emma grimaced as she felt another twinge. She sat down on the couch. “Yeah it was like a trickle. I thought I pissed myself.”

“Please tell me that didn’t happen in our bed.” Emma got an incredulous look on her face and Regina backtracked. “Sorry. Do you need anything? Are you in any pain? Do you need me to get your pillow or anything?”

Emma took hold of Regina’s hand and once she was sitting next to her she smiled, “For the moment I am doing all right. These things are going to get worse. With Henry I was in labor for fifteen hours. They had me walking around the medical ward and it was the most bizarre experience ever. Not to mention traumatizing.” Emma rubbed her stomach and smiled. Nena had settled down which meant she was getting ready to make her escape. She looked at Regina with a hopeful glint in her eyes. “Though can I have a bowl of cherries? I have a sweet tooth all of a sudden.”

Regina gave her a peculiar look and said, “We don’t have cherries.”

“But you have magic,” Emma pointed out with a grin on her face.

Regina shook her head and remarked, “I am so glad this is coming to an end.” She conjured up a bowl of cherries for Emma.

She took the bowl and placed them on her stomach then she started eating them. Emma grinned and asked, “Wanna watch a movie?” Regina got a concerned look on her face and Emma chuckled. “We’re probably going to be here for awhile so we might as well watch a movie.”

Regina got the remote off the coffee table and moved closer to Emma so she could cuddle up to her. As she turned on the TV, Regina kissed her forehead and remarked, “You seem awful cheerful for someone who is in labor.”

Emma bit a cherry in half and after she chewed it up she said, “This is the easy part. Wait until later. That’s when the real fun begins.”

Regina scoffed then stated, “I highly doubt that.” She began to flick through the channels. “Now what are we watching?”

The two of them got settled in for what was going to be a long first stage of labor. Emma didn’t mind this part. It was the best part. It signified that her pregnancy was almost over and that she only had one more rough part to get through before it was all officially over.


	5. Well Then...

“Oh holy fucking shit! Fuck, mother fucker,” Emma swore as she and Regina appeared in the maternity ward of the hospital. It was four hours later and her contractions were coming a lot quicker than she had expected. They were also lasting a lot longer, beyond painful, and she was pretty certain that she had bruised Regina’s hand. “Motherfuckerfuckingshitdammit!” Emma shouted as the mother of all contractions hit her hard and lasted more than a minute.

A nurse came rushing over to them and asked, “How long has she been in labor?”

“I want to say for a while now, but the contractions just became more frequent within the last hour and they seem to be increasing,” Regina reported to the woman as she helped Emma into the wheelchair that the nurse had brought with her.

The nurse yelled out, “Someone call the on-call OB and tell them to hurry.”

The three of them moved quickly down the hall and to a vacant room. They got Emma set up and by the time she was in bed the on-call doctor walked in. The woman had a big smile on her face as she stood at the foot of bed with Emma’s chart in her hand. “Sheriff Swan and Mayor Mills. I was wondering when you two would be showing up. I am Dr. Williamson and I will be delivering your daughter. So I hear the contractions are getting worse?”

Emma nodded. “I think I’ve been having contractions for like the last seven hours but the last hour or so they’ve gotten worse. Like really bad and I would like drugs now.”

The doctor bit her bottom lip as she looked at the readout that printed out of the fetal monitor. She took a deep breath then looked at Emma with an apologetic expression on her face. “I’m sorry Sheriff, but your contractions are too close together. And if I were a betting woman, I would say that you’re almost fully dilated, but I’m going do a physical exam to confirm.” She chuckled. “Looks like this little one is ready to break free.”

Emma scoffed then got a scowl on her face. “She’s been trying to break free for the last month.” She let out a frustrated breath but it was cut short when another intense contraction hit and Emma clutched at her stomach groaning. After it passed she asked, “So what are you saying doc? I don’t get the drugs?”

Dr. Williamson pushed an exam stool over to the foot of the bed then she adjusted the stirrups. Once they were in the right position Dr. Williamson pulled on her gloves and looked up at her. “No, you don’t Emma.”

Emma looked up at Regina and said with a slight panic in her voice, “I can’t do this without drugs. The pain will kill me.”

Sympathy shone in Regina’s eyes as she tried to soothe Emma’s fears. “It’s going to be painful, but it’s not going to kill you. You’ll get through it Em, and I’m going to be her every step of the way. You’re not alone. Okay?”

Emma took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them and looked into Regina’s she saw nothing but love and adoration in their brown depths. If the other woman believed that she would be able to get through the birth of their daughter without any drugs then she was going to believe it too. Dr. Williamson tapped the stirrups and said, “All right Emma, let’s see where we stand with everything.”

Emma nodded and as she moved to put her feet in the stirrups another contraction occurred making her holler, “This fucking shit hurts.”

Regina rubbed her shoulder and helped her put her feet in the stirrups. When she was all set Dr. Williams did her physical examination. Emma held on tightly to Regina’s hand while the other woman whispered words of love and encouragement to her. Dr. Williamson looked at the nurse that was standing to her left. “She’s nine centimeters and the baby’s in position so let’s prep for delivery.” She looked at Emma and grinned. “I want to say another fifteen minutes then it will be show time. Do you want to watch?”

“Oh god no!” Emma exclaimed. She didn’t want to witness that nor did she want Regina to witness that. It was bad enough that she was going to be present while she was giving birth.

Regina wiped her forehead and commented, “Well I would like to-“

“No, Regina. I don’t want you to see that,” Emma countered, cutting her off. She was adamant about maintaining something that resembled dignity while she gave birth.

Regina blew out a breath and shook her head as she conceded. “Okay.”

Seeing that the conversation was over Dr. Williamson stood up and said, “Get comfortable,” Emma let out a snort, “and I will be back so we can bring your little girl into the world.”

Emma let out an aggravated breath. She needed to think about something besides the pain that she was feeling and the fact that she would be pushing out a baby in less than twenty minutes. “Did Henry make it to my parents’ place?”

Regina hummed then said, “Yes, but they’re on their way here. I forgot to get your bag. I should have them go pick it up.”

Emma pressed on her stomach and squeezed her eyes shut as another contraction went through her. They were coming back to back and all she could feel was wave after wave of pain. She breathed her way through it but the pain was unbearable and Emma cried out, “Oh fucking shit”

Regina rubbed her hand and said, “I can’t take seeing you in this much pain. Can you sit up?”

Emma nodded then sat up when she was able to. Regina got on the bed and sat behind her, pulling Emma back so that she could rest against her. Regina started to massage her lower back and Emma let out a soft moan as some of the pain alleviated. She kissed the side of her head and said, “I’m not using magic because I don’t know what effect it will have on Nena, but I do know a thing or two about pressure points.”

Emma got a tired smile on her face and asked, “And when did you learn about those?”

“That I will tell you when you aren’t focused on giving birth to our daughter. Just relax,” Emma scoffed, “and prepare for what you’re about to do.”

Emma grimaced in pain and concentrated on her breathing. Everyone was telling her to focus, and the only thing that she could actually focus on was the tremendous amount of pain that she was going through. In hindsight she probably should have came to the hospital when the contractions got worse, but no, she had been stubborn and told Regina that she was fine. All she wanted to do was finish the second Harry Potter film which she didn’t even get to finish.

Minutes later Dr. Williamson came walking back into the room and said, “All right Emma I’m going to do another exam to make sure we are all set and if we are I’ll let you know when to go.”

Emma looked up at Regina and the look on her face was so serious that she couldn’t help but to laugh. She reached up and ran her finger over her jaw. “Don’t look so serious. We get to finally see our daughter face to face.”

Regina smiled down at her then she lowered her head to give her a kiss. It lingered for a moment then as she pulled back she said, “I love you.”

Emma smiled at her. “I love you too.”

Dr. Williams did her exam then looked up at Emma. “You are fully dilated which means you are all set to push.”

Regina helped Emma sit up, her face contorting because of the pain, but she didn’t dwell on it. With Regina right by her side she was going to be able to get through the birth of their daughter with minimal damage. Dr. Williamson told her to push when the next contraction hit. When it happened Emma tightened her grip on the rails of the bed and bore down, swearing as she tried to push Nena out. “Oh sweet mother fucking...fuck...shit...damn mother...fuck!”

She tried pushing for a full minute before Dr Williamson shouted, “Okay Emma take a break and we’ll go again when you’re ready.”

Emma rested against Regina and let out an exhausted breath as she closed her eyes. Regina mopped her brow with a towel and said, “You’re doing good Em. Just remember, deep breaths. We can’t have you passing out because if you do that will lead to trouble, so breathe.”

Emma scowled and argued, “I am breathing Regina. How about you push this fucking kid out and tell me how easy it is to fucking breathe.” She realized that she had crossed a line and Emma looked up at Regina who was looking at her with a small smile on her face. She had every intention of apologizing but the fact that Regina was enjoying her suffering made Emma scoff.  “I hate you.”

Regina kissed her cheek then murmured, “I love you too dear.”

“Ready to go again?” Dr. Williamson asked from between Emma’s legs and Emma reluctantly nodded. “Okay. You know what to do.”

Emma got in position to push again and when her contraction she gritted her teeth and pushed. It took several attempts but twenty minutes later Dr. Williamson exclaimed, “I see the head.”

“I can fucking feel it!” Emma shouted as she continued to push.

She pushed for a few more seconds then Dr. Williamson said, “Okay Emma you can-“

The doctor stopped talking and both Emma and Regina became alarmed. “Doctor what is it? Is something wrong with her?” Regina asked her tone get hard and direct. A clear indication that she was worried.

Emma took hold of Regina’s hand. “She’ll tell us in a second just give her a second.”

Dr. Williamson looked up at them then she chuckled. “Um...well see for yourself.”

She placed the baby on the blanket that was on Emma’s chest and both mothers didn’t see anything that should have made the doctor pause, but when Emma adjusted the crying baby Regina said, “Oh my.”

Emma glanced up at her. “What? What’s wrong with her?”

“There’s nothing wrong with her. It’s just...” She trailed off and pointed at the baby. “She’s a he.”

Emma looked at the baby that was crying and squirming on her chest then she lifted it up. Sure enough there was a penis. She gawked at it then asked, “How the hell was that missed?”

Dr. Williamson chuckled again and said, “The technician must have read the ultrasound wrong.” She held out a pair of scissors to Regina. “Want to cut the cord?”

Emma saw the huge smile that came to woman’s face as she reached for the scissors. Regina reached over her and cut the cord that was keeping their son attached to Emma. Dr. Williamson smiled and said, “Congratulations moms. Now you two talk while I finish up down here.”

Emma looked at the baby that had a head full of dark hair. She was still surprised that the daughter that they had spent the last nine months preparing for was actually a son. “How could this happen? I mean I had multiple ultrasounds.” She got a pointed look on her face. “I want that person fired. We were prepared for a girl and-“

“And we have a healthy and beautiful son,” Regina said cutting off Emma’s rant.

Emma sighed and looked at the baby, smiling. “Yes we do.” She looked up at Regina and wondered, “What are we going to name him?”

One of the nurses walked over and said, “We’re going to take him for a quick assessment then we’ll bring him back to his mommies.”

The nurse took the baby from Emma and Dr. Williamson got up from her stool. “You did a wonderful job, Emma. I will look into what happened in regards to the misreading of your ultrasound. The nurses will help you clean you up then you and Mayor Mills will be able to relax and come up with some names for your son.”

Emma rested against Regina and remarked, “I can’t believe we have a son.”

“I guess even in a modern world surprises can still happen during childbirth,” Regina remarked with a chuckle.

Emma let out a small grunt and countered, “Yeah well I don’t like surprises.”

Regina kissed her temple and said, “That’s not necessarily true. I remember that one time I surprised you at work when you were doing an overnight shift. I do believe you liked that surpris. Several times.”

Emma rolled her eyes even though a smile came to her face as she remembered that particular night. The nurses cleaned her up and once everything was done, and she was settled in her bed, exhaustion hit Emma hard. A nurse came into the room pushing their son in a bassinet and there was smile on her face as she announced, “And here are your mommies.”

Emma watched as Regina took their son out of the bassinet. A huge smile instantly appeared on her face and it melted Emma’s heart. “Hi little one. I’m your mom,” Regina whispered to the baby. “You certainly are a surprise but we are so excited you’re here. Me and your ma still have to come up with a name for you but don’t worry we’ll come up with something.”

Emma’s eyelids began to get heavy and she asked, “Is it okay if I get some sleep?’

“You don’t have to ask Emma. Go to sleep. We’ll be here when you wake up.” Regina said her eyes still on the infant in her arms.

Emma smiled and as she drifted off the image of Regina holding their son stayed with her. The smile on Regina’s face told her that it had all been worth it, but that was going to be that last time that she would go through childbirth.

* * *

Emma woke up to loud crying. It wasn’t even crying, it was wailing. She groaned and said, “I’m still sleeping.”

She heard a deep chuckle then her dad said, “Well I think my grandson is hungry.”

Emma pulled the blanket over her head. She was sore in places that hadn’t been sore in a long time. She remembered being in some pain after having Henry, but she couldn’t remember if it had been this painful. Emma pulled the blanket down and asked, “How is he hungry? I just fed him.”

Regina took their son from David. “That was two hours ago.” Emma noticed the permanent smile on her face and she couldn’t help but to smile. Regina looked so happy and Emma was happy for them. Regina walked over to the side of the bed then she gave the baby to Emma after she had gotten her feeding pillow. She began to untie the strings that were holding her hospital gown up and Henry said, “Well I’m going to go find a soda or something.”

David let out an uncomfortable chuckle. “I think I will come with you.”

Snow laughed a little then she gave slight nod. “I’ll give you two some privacy.”

The three of them scampered out of the room and Emma shook her head. “Well at least I get to maintain some modesty again.” She brought the baby up to her nipple, and like the first time, he latched on like a champ. Emma chuckled and commented, “Little dude certainly does have an appetite.” She rested her head back and looked up at Regina who was smiling at them. Emma chuckled then said, “You look so damn happy.”

Regina brushed a lock of hair out of her face and remarked, “I’m pretty damn happy actually.”

Emma hummed then took her hand and kissed the back of it. She held onto it and glanced down at the baby before looking back into the brown eyes that were watching their son eat. “So what are we naming him?”

Regina reached over and rubbed the baby’s head as she said, “Well we can’t name him after my father. His brother has that market cornered.”

Emma chuckled a little. “That is true and the other males in this family are less than ideal. I mean my dad is fine, but I honestly can’t stand his name.”

“Well then I have no suggestions,” Regina said as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Emma kissed the nursing baby’s head then grinned. “How about Iago?”

Regina’s face scrunched up with disapproval. “No, and where did you pull that one out of?”

“ _Othello._ ” Emma stated.

Regain chuckled and said, “So you’re going to use the mildly disturbing material you’ve been reading for the last month to name our child?”

Emma gave Regina pointed look. “Do you have a name yet?” The woman scowled at her and Emma got a triumphant smile on her face. “That’s what I thought.” She looked at the baby that was still eating with gusto and remarked, “I’m going to go out on a limb and say that he got that from me.”

Regina smiled and said, “Possibly.”

The two of them watched as their son ate and Emma commented, “He looks like a Connor.”

Regina shook her head and told her, “Nope. Not Connor. I think of a dog when I hear that.”

Emma let out an exasperated breath and looked up at the ceiling. “Regina you have to give some leeway here.”

“The child is technically royalty, Emma, and Connor doesn’t signify royalty,” Regina stated in a regal tone that almost made Emma laugh.

Emma bit her bottom lip until she was certain that she wasn’t going to laugh. “This Storybrooke Regina. There isn’t royalty. So Connor will go to number three on the list.”

Regina rolled her eyes and muttered, “Number five.” She gestured then offered, “How about Vincent?”

Emma mulled that around. She liked it. It had a nice ring to it. “Vincent.” Then she began to run through the potential nicknames that he would be called. “Vin. Vinny. Vince.” Not finding one bad nickname Emma smiled. “I think Vincent might be number one.”

Regina chuckled a little. “Since we both agree on it I think we should stick with Vincent. I think it suits our little prince quite well. Now he just needs a middle name.”

Emma got frustrated and asked, “Does he have to have a middle name?” Regina scowled at her and Emma lifted her hand as she said, “How about Jacob?”

Regina rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Nope. No Jacob. It could lead Jake or Jay or other nicknames that I’m not fond of.”

Emma did chuckle this time and she glanced down to make sure that she didn’t disturb the baby that was still nursing though he had slowed down a bit. Emma started to prattle off a bunch of boy names, “Ryan, Philip, Greg, Lennox, Edgar, William, Samuel, Paul-“

“Wait, wait, wait,” Regina said interrupting Emma flow of names. “How do you feel about William?”

Emma puffed her cheeks out a bit and she moved her head from side to side as she thought about it then said out loud, “Vincent William Swan-Mills.” She nodded and hummed. “It has a-Hold on a second, we have a problem.” Regina’s eyebrow went up. “His initials.”

“What wrong with his initials? I think they would be perfectly fine. VWSM.” Regina said not seeing Emma’s problem with their son’s potential name.

Emma’s eyebrows furrowed and she looked at Regina with a questioning look on her face. “VW? You don’t see anything wrong with that?”

Regina shook her head. “No I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

Of course Regina didn’t see a problem with it. Emma began to laugh and when she caught her breath she explained to Regina what was wrong with those initials. “You remember my beloved yellow bug?”

“Yes, how could I forget that death trap? I was so thrilled when it bit the dust.” Regina said with a devious smirk on her face.

Emma scowled at her and said, “I still believe that you did something to my car. But anyway it was a VW Bug. So if we name him that then it’s like a memory to my bug.”

Regina scowled for a moment then she chuckled a little before she said, “Then so be it. I’m fond of Vincent William.”

A smile came to Emma’s face as she looked down at the baby in her arms. She kissed his forehead then whispered, “Me too. How do you feel about that Vinny?” The baby kept eating and she grinned. “I guess you feel good about it.” Emma looked at Regina as she reached for her hand and said, “I think we’ve just named our son.”

Regina bent down and gave her a kiss then she kissed the top of Vincent’s head before saying, “We certainly did.”

**XxXxX**

 A half hour later Vinny was all fed and sleeping in his bassinet when David, Snow, Henry, and Neal came back to Emma’s room. When Neal saw Regina he shouted, “Eena!”

Regina walked over to David and took Emma’s little brother from him. She kissed his cheek then said, “You have to use your inside voice, Neal because the baby’s sleeping.”

“Sleeping?” Neal asked.

Regina nodded. “Yes he is.” But then she smiled at him. “Do you want to meet your new nephew?” Neal shook his head and Regina walked him over to the bassinet then said, “Neal I want you to meet Vincent. Your nephew.”

Neal waved at him then said, “Hi Vin.”

Emma chuckled as she watched Neal and Regina then she looked at her parents and Henry. This was her life and it couldn’t have been more perfect. Vincent was surrounded by a loving family who was going to adore and spoil him which was all Emma could hope for, for her and Regina’s son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad everyone has enjoyed this one. I've had this written for a long time now and I enjoyed it so much so figured others would too. I'll come back with a new SQ fic in a couple days. I have a cache of them.


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